FLORIDA: NASA launched the Artemis II mission, sending four astronauts on a historic journey around the Moon as part of its efforts to return humans to deep space exploration.
The spacecraft lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 6:35 p.m. ET (2235 UTC). Moments before launch, NASA confirmed that the hatch had been closed and the astronauts were securely strapped into their seats.
Artemis II is the first crewed mission of NASA’s Artemis program and is designed to orbit the Moon, marking a major step toward future lunar landings.
The mission aims to pave the way for long-term human presence on the Moon and eventual missions to Mars, described by NASA as the “next giant leap” in space exploration.
